Mistrial Declared in Raymond Roseboro Murder Case

Judge Russell Canan declared a mistrial today in the case against Raymond Roseboro, after the jury notified the court for the third time that they were deadlocked.

Roseboro, 21, was charged with first-degree murder while armed in the shooting death of 16-year-old Prince Okorie.

The case went to the jury Tuesday afternoon and jurors spent the week deliberating. The jury sent notes to the court on Wednesday, Friday and Monday saying that they were deadlocked. The foreperson told the court Monday that eight jurors had voted to find Roseboro guilty, and four had voted against finding him guilty.
Okorie was gunned down at 4:30 in the afternoon on a residential street in Petworth in November 2010.

According to charging documents in the case, a witness to Okorie’s death “heard a gunshot, looked, and saw [Roseboro] armed with a gun in [his] hand and [Okorie] on the ground. As [the witness] turned away, it heard additional gunshots.”

On the stand at trial, Roseboro said he was home with his mother, cousin, and girlfriend waiting for an appointment with a jobs counselor the afternoon that Okorie was killed. His mother and cousin also testified that he was home. His jobs counselor was about two hours late for the scheduled appointment.

A status hearing for the case is set for April 6; a second trial is set for July 18.

Canan told jurors that the case could be continued for a second trial, or it could be resolved without another trial being held.

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What is Homicide Watch D.C.?

Homicide Watch is a community-driven reporting project covering every murder in the District of Columbia. Using original reporting, court documents, social media, and the help of victims’ and suspects’ friends, family, neighbors and others, we cover every homicide from crime to conviction. Read more…